Transcripts For BBCNEWS BBC News At Six 20170815

For decades, its absolutely unprecedented. India, the worlds most populous democracy, marks 70 years of independence. And im in the city of Amritsar Looking at the countrys potential and the problems that are holding it back. And coming up in sportsday on bbc news theyre without philippe coutiniho, Daniel Sturridge and adam lallana, but liverpool Battle On Against Hoffenheim in their Champions League qualifier tonight. Good evening and welcome to the bbcs news at six. The government has set out its plans for trading with the eu and the rest of the world after brexit. Ministers want to avoid a sudden and drastic change for business so theyre calling for a temporary relationship with the eu while a more permanent arrangement is developed. Their ultimate goal is to have a system of trade with the eu that is as close as possible to what we have now. But the eu parliaments Chief Negotiator described that as a fantasy. Our Business Editor simonjack reports. Dover, the uks busiest port. Nearly 20 of all goods traded with the eu come through here. Businesses fear any blockages to Trading Arteries like this would have serious consequences for them and the rest of the uk. For logistics firms, like this one in kent, time is money. Our business runs onjust in time basis, moving goods to and from the continent. If we ended up having shipments having to do Customs Clearances in bound and outbound that would be damaging in terms of the amount of time we would spend at dover going in and out of the country and that would almost grind our business to a halt. There may be 21 miles of sea between here and france but in trade terms there is no barrier thanks to our membership of the Customs Union. Its a club of eu countries in which individual Country Borders disappear. Goods move freely and with minimal check up. But there is still an external border between the eu and the rest of the world at which goods are checked and in some cases tariffs are payable. So, what happens when we are outside the club . Today the government said it wanted to leave, it wanted a new deal but in the period before that could happen, little would change in our borders. There are two bits of that. One is the ongoing, Easy Customs Arrangement that allows sale of goods into the European Union but also from them to us, without restrictions. The interim period, itll take time to get structures in place, will be a bit like the Customs Union now. This is an ambitious document, by technically leaving the Customs Union, by leaving border arrangements unchanged for a couple of years, youll get minimised disruption, while at the same time forging new arrangements with people around the world before we eventually end up with an almost frictionless arrangement with our old friends in the eu. Its a win, win, win situation. Which is why many think theres one long recipe for having your cake and eating it. 0ne eu official described parts of the proposal as fantasy while brussels top negotiator said there were more important things to settle first like Citizens Rights and the divorce bill. No one wants friction at the borders, especially the ones between ireland and the uk. The government will release more details on that tomorrow. There are so many issues to unpick, some politicians wonder whether the government has its priorities right. This seems to be all about the problems in the Conservative Party and really not about addressing the situation faced by the British Public and the needs of the economy and jobs. Well, why dont we just stay in the Customs Union . If they want to have something, that, you know, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, you know, its a duck. Were leaving but nothing will change at the border for now, that at least is what the government is hoping for. Lets get the reaction from brussels adam fleming is there. We know exactly what the uk government wants. But what do the eus priorities . George, the eus First Priority is protecting its timetable, hence that tweet from the Chief Negotiator saying its make progress On The Issues of ireland, the uks financial obligations and citizens the uks financial obligations and Citizens Rights first, before moving on to the next phase of talks which is about the future relationship. Although it will be intriguing to see if this british paper published today kick starts a discussion amongst the other eu countries about what that future relationship might look like. I imagine that was one of the intentions of the British Government today in publishing that paper. The eus today in publishing that paper. The eus other priority is protecting the eu itself and in this case that means stopping the uk becoming some kind of back door for imports of cheaper or lower quality goods into the eu. So that will guide their thinking on this issue of customs. The fact is officials here in this city have been crying out for more details about the British Governments vision of brexit and the details, so theyre actually very happy this paper published todayis very happy this paper published today is the first in a deluge of documents heading this way from london. Thank you. Millions of Rail Passengers will see the biggest rise in fares forfour years. Theyre going up by 3. 6 injanuary, because of a rise in the rate of inflation. The increases will affect Season Tickets, so called anytime tickets and some off peak fares. Unions have called it a kick in the teeth for passengers. 0ur transport correspondent, richard westcott, has the story. Quick coffee. Good boy. Little treat for einstein the cat. And catch the train. Rebeccas commute from taunton to bristol costs £3,500 a year and its due to go up by £130 next year as most commuters face a 3. 6 price rise. There is this gradual erosion of your actual real wealth thats happening to an awful lot of people where you will find that your salary may have gone up but Everything Else is going up so much faster and so much more that year on year were all actually, it feels like, worse off. Its not the Train Companies that set around half of our rail fares, its actually the government and theyve been putting the fares up for years because they want to change who pays for the railways. Its all part of a plan to shift the financial burden away from taxpayers, most of whom dont commute on trains, and on to passengers. Fares used to account for about half the cost of running our trains. Thats risen to around 65 . Across britain, people are facing tough choices. If it goes up, i probably wont even be able to afford to go to work. I will have to get the car to work because its cheaper to get the car to work. I work in the public sector, my pay rise is maximum 1 so that makes us worse off when they put fares up like that. I wouldnt mind the rise if you got a better quality carriage and Everything Else. Theyre pretty tatty these things now. Campaigners have criticised the use of the rpi rate of inflation which is usually higher but the rail firms say they face the same increases. Railway companies costs are going up in line with that inflation as well so they have to cover those costs in order to be able to provide the services that we want as passengers. Ministers argue that the money is needed to pay for a £40 billion upgrade to the network. A lot of it is still victorian and its struggling to cope with record numbers of passengers. Critics claim fares have outstripped wages for years and say its time for a price freeze. The government could still change its mind in the autumn budget. Richard westcott, bbc news, luton. The Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire which left more than 80 people dead is officially under way today. It will examine how the blaze started and the actions of kensington and chelsea council. But broader social questions will not be considered. This has led to criticism from the local mp, residents and campaigners, as our special correspondent, lucy manning, reports. Hanging from near the top of the tower. There are still remains to be found, bodies to be identified. A crime scene to be investigated. And still, so many questions to be answered. Why did it happen . How did it happen . Questions the Public Inquiry says it will look at. The inquiry now says it will examine the cause and spread of the fire, the design and construction of the tower block, including safety regulations, and the response of the fire brigade to the blaze and central and local governments response after it. But it wont look at Social Housing policy, or the relationship between residents and the council, and the tenant management association. Karim is still waiting for the remains of his uncle to be found and identified. We thought that its covering pretty much what we want it to cover, in terms of, you know, the cause and spread of the fire, the response with the local authorities and the residents, before and after. Do you think the inquiry could be broader . I think it should be more broader and be more detailed in terms of that, yeah, definitely. You would like it to look at Social Housing . Absolutely, it is a massive aspect. But he still cant say he has confidence in the inquiry. I support it. Confidence is a very strong word. I mean i have more confidence in a criminal investigation than i do a Public Inquiry. While sir martin moore bick, the head of the inquiry wont examine policy on Social Housing, the government says ministers will. There is a Listening Exercise we have to do in government about wider Social Housing policy and that is precisely what i will be doing over the coming weeks and months. As residents marched in silence last night to remember the tragedy, many still feel the inquiry doesnt go far enough. The Prime Minister said no stone would be unturned and this terms of reference does not do that. We need to make sure Social Housing is considered. We do feel betrayed. This is what we felt was going to happen at the beginning of this Consultation Process and this is what has happened. The inquirys had a difficult start with thejudge accused of being out of touch. He needs the confidence of the survivors, the bereaved, as a whitewash, and after todays announcement, he still doesnt have theirfull support. The Grenfell Inquiry will hold its first hearing next month and hopes to have an initial report on the cause and spread of the fire by easter. 0ne survivor said, we just want the truth. The family of each person killed in the Manchester Arena terror attack in may is to receive a £250,000. That includes £70,000 which has already been given to the next of kin of the 22 people who died in the bombing. The money is from the we Love Manchester Emergency Fund which has so far raised £18 million from public donations. A cyclist, accused of killing a woman by crashing into her in a london street, began shouting at her as she lay injured, a court has heard. Charlie alliston, who was 18 at the time, was allegedly going 18mph before knocking down kim briggs in an east london street. Mrs briggs suffered Brain Injuries and died in hospital days later. Mr alliston denies manslaughter. A desperate dig for survivors is under way in sierra leones capital, after mudslides and floods claimed the lives of nearly 400 people. Their homes on the outskirts of freetown were engulfed after part of a mountain collapsed yesterday morning. Thousands have been left homeless. As our correspondent umaru fofana reports, the authorities are planning mass burials because the mortuaries are full. 0n the day after, Emergency Services are still overstretched. Inside the central mortuary of the main hospital there are piles of bodies. They are lying on the floor in the open because there is no more space. Nearly 100 bodies were brought in on tuesday morning, bringing the total number to nearly 400, some of them limbless. The head of the mortuary says they are completely overstretched and that is not all, as they were trying to sort corpses out, more corpses are being brought in from different parts of the city. Even the Rescue Effort here is challenged. People are believed to still be alive underneath this spot. Even if they are, itll be a miracle to find them breathing. Government and Development Partners have now set up a response centre, registering those left behind by the disaster. Relief supplies are slow in coming. But the testimonies from people who have been badly hit by this disaster are in no short supply. Translation i first saw the body of my sister and called on people to help me and we laid on the floor. Then i started hearing other people nearby crying. I have lost all of my family. Mondays mudslide and flash flood have shaken this country. Even for a country that has known a bloody civil war and destabilising ebola outbreak, this is unbearable. That report from umaru fofana our correspondent in freetown in sierra leone. Now its 6. 15pm. Our top story this evening. Ministers set out their plans for trade after brexit. A top eu official calls it a fantasy. And still to come sailing to the north pole, its never been done, but explorer pen haddow is giving it a go. Coming up in sportsday on bbc news its coming up in sportsday on bbc news its all about the pink balls as england prepare for the first ever day night test match. They play the west indies at edgbaston on friday. Play will go on until 9pm in the evening. Indias Prime Minister, narendra modi, has led his nation in marking the 70th Anniversary of the countrys independence from britain. The division of Colonial India into two states india and pakistan in 1947 was followed by sectarian violence between hindus, muslims and sikhs. Up to a Million People were killed. The Partition Led to the movement of around 12 Million People in one of the largest migrations ever seen. Many muslims fled east and west out of hindu dominated india. Similarly, millions of hindus and sikhs headed the other way. That was the past. So what is todays india like . Reeta chakrabarti is live at the Golden Temple in amritsar. This is the holiest site of the sikh religion, and it stands in the state of punjab, which was terribly affected in the horrors of partition 70 years ago. While india celebrates the anniversary of its independence, it has a lot to reflect on, in its past and in its present. It has a huge and young population and a growing economy. But theres also been a rise in religious violence, directed especially at muslims. As our south asia correspondent, justin rowlatt, now reports. This is a day of celebration for india. The indian Prime Minister, narendra modi, talked of the countrys successes its growing economy, its efforts to tackle corruption and his vision for a secure, developed nation with equal opportunities for all. He knows there are challenges. He made a point of speaking out against hate crimes. Translation In The Name Of religions some people in this country commit crimes. This is the land of gandhi and violence In The Name Of faith will not be tolerated. He is talking about indias tiny minority of hindu extremists, people like this man. Modi is a hindu nationalist and tensions have been growing between the countrys hindu majority and its large muslim minority. At the centre of the controversy is the slaughter of cows for meat. Muslims eat beef. But the cow is a sacred animal in hinduism regarded as a motherfigure. Translation if i find someone killing my mother cow, i wont hesitate to kill him. I dont need the police or the authorities. I will give him punishment. Im the court. I give the verdict. Hes so passionate about protecting the cow he and his supporters take to the streets. Theyve been told theyve got no permission to stop vehicles, but theyre stopping them any way. Stopping these lorries to see if theyre carrying any cows. Translation i have information that they are smuggling cows in a truck like this. Cow vigilantes have been increasingly active across the country since modi took power and there have been murders. Avoiding communal conflict is crucialfor india. This new bridge isjust one of scores of major new infrastructure projects. The countrys doing well the Fastest Growing large economy in the world. There is a lot for india to celebrate today but the Prime Minister knows keeping this country growing depends on keeping religious conflict in check. Justin rowlatt, bbc news, delhi. This City Amritsar is right on the border with pakistan, and as india celebrates its 70 years of independence, it is just starting to address publicly its brutal and bloody beginning, when the country was effectively cut in two by partition. As ive been finding out, it was a difficult start for india and for its first Prime Minister, jawaharlal nehru. One of a tiny number of transport links between neighbours. This train operates just twice a week, taking indians over the border and bringing pakistanis here to the outskirts of amritsar. But its a journey very few make, because of decades of mistrust between the two countries, which started with the horrors of partition. Amritsar is becoming a centre of remembrance. This week, india is launching the first ever Partition Museum here, recording the acts of violence and bravery of that time. People actually havent spoken much about partition in the past, which is a real tragedy. The reason being that i think that generation when they came across, a, they were traumatised, and b, because they were so busy setting up their own lives, because they had lost everything. We made a tryst with destiny. As the newly independent state of india was born, its first Prime Minister, jawaharlal nehru, was full of optimism and hope. At the stroke of the midnight hour, when the world sleeps, india will awake to life and freedom. His vision was of a democratic, secular state in which poverty and inequality were gradually reduced. Amolak swani was 17 at the time. She lived through the horrors and only narrowly escaped with her life, hidden with a fruit truck and disguised in a burkha. Now 87, shes been recording her memories for her Grandson Rishi and reflecting on modern india and nehrus india. Translation all the dreams that he showed us, theyve not been fulfilled. We thought that after independence, all sorts of things would happen. We are still better off but there are many poor people. There is still so much poverty in india. There has been Major Economic growth in india by nehrus vision of a more equal society hasnt happened yet. One thing endures, the political mistrust between india and pakistan, a hostility that some born many years after partition cant understand. We are the same people. We probably eat similar food. We speak in a similar tongue. We mightjust worship different gods but that doesnt make us any different. But hes never been to pakistan, which is less than 20 miles away. The border between the two countries is real and psychological. Partition is both history and ever present. It is very difficult for indians to go to pakistan and vice versa. There are very few transport links and almost no one makes the journey. We we re almost no one makes the journey. We were broadcasting in pakistan yesterday and made the crossing from lahore, just 30 miles from here to amritsar. Very few people made the acrossing with us, thats because of acrossing with us, thats because of a long standing hostility between the States Of India and pakistan. Its peoples may feel friendship, but the states themselves, 70 years after partition, they feel as far apart as ever. George, back to you. The british explorer pen hadow and his team have set off for the north pole in two 50 foot yachts. His team say the melting of sea ice in the region is making the voyage possible for the first time. Hadow left nome in alaska earlier today. Hell sail along the Baring Strait into the central arctic ocean. After that his team will use satellites to plot the best route through the ice. They are attempting to reach the geographic north pole and the expedition should take about six weeks. 0ur science correspondent, rebecca morelle, reports. Setting off into uncharted arctic waters, a pair of yachts attempting a first sailing all the way to the north pole. A crew of ten and the dog have just departed from alaska, led by british explorer, pen hadow, they have a 3,500 mile voyage ahead. For the first time in human history, possibly for the first time in130,000 years, it is now possible to sail ships into this sea area. Its rapid warming thats made this expedition even possible. This shows how sea ice has melted over time. The smaller the circle, the less ice that year. Theres still data to come for 2017, but already it doesnt look good. Since the 1970s, its estimated that half of the volume of sea ice has been lost. It means that once inaccessible waters are opening up and researchers say this could lead to significant changes, especially for commercial ships routes. The north pole is here. What were seeing. At reading university, Scientists Say that instead of having to sail around the frozen pole, ships will have a new short cut. At the moment, were seeing a few experimental voyages through the arctic. In the future, as the ice continues to melt, the possibility of having more commercial ships travelling through the region will only increase. Ships may be able to go right over the pole by the middle of the century. The team do not know how far north theyll get. But this expedition into the unknown may be the start of a new era of arctic voyages. Lets hear about Climate Change of a different kind. Heres chris fawkes. We could do with changing our weather thats for sure a day of sunshine and showers across the north of the uk. Weve had some of these clouds in the sky, moving across the skyline in aberdeenshire, for example. Some of those have been pretty heavy as well. Notjust across the north east of scotland. Weve seen a number of showers working across into Northern Ireland as well, with Thunder Storms up over the antrim hills. Thats the lions share of the activity today. Weve all seen decent spells of sunshine, the best of this across england and wales. 0vernight tonight, the showers that are still with us will continue to fade away. Well have clear skies and light winds. A combination that will lead to some fairly low temperatures for an august night, not in the towns and cities. Temperatures holding up into double figures. In rural scotland, we could get down to five degrees by the end of the night. Looking at wednesdays weather charts, its an east west split. A ridge of High Pressure to start in the east. An area of low pressure that will bring wet and yndy weather windy weather into the west. That gets into Northern Ireland quickly. Scotland, england and wales having a decent morning with some sunshine. But you can see the rain will continue to make inroads by the afternoon. Turning wet and windy across Western Scotland later in the day. The winds picking up to give gale force day. The winds picking up to give Gale Force Gusts around the coasts and coasts here. The wet weather continues in Northern Ireland. Things brighten up towards the end of the day. The rain is slow to reach the eastern side of wales. For the bulk of england, the rain arriving very late on, a decent day with fine spells of sunshine. A bit breezier than it was today. Its through the nighttime that rain band crosses wales and england. Turning heavy for a time as well. It could be quite slow to clear eastern areas of england through thursday morning. Eventually it will. We get sunshine following in. In fact thursdays weather looks similar to today really. Well have further showers, particular across the north and west sm. 0f particular across the north and west sm. Of those could be heavy with thunder. Warm in the sunshine with highs of 24. By friday, we start to get a north westerly wind. That brings plenty of showers across North Western areas of the uk. Some of those heavy with hail and thunder. Generally fewer showers towards the south and east through friday and indeed into the weekend as well. Thats how the weathers shaping up. A reminder of our main story. Ministers set out their plans for trade after brexit. They want a system as close as possible to what we have now. But a top eu official has called it a fantasy. Thats all from the bbc news at six. Its goodbye from me, and on bbc one, we nowjoin the bbcs news teams where you are. Hello. This is bbc news. The headlines. The government has published proposals for a temporary Customs Union with the eu after brexit. Labour has criticised the plans, but the Brexit Secretary says the ideas will help minimise disruption to business. Millions of Rail Passengers will see a 3. 6 increase in fare when prices rise in january 2018. The price rise will affect Season Tickets and some off peak fares in england and wales. The terms of the Public Inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire have been released the actions of the local council and the recent refurbishment of the block will be among the issues examined. The search for survivors continues following mudslides and floods in freetown in sierra leone which have the claimed lives of more than 300 people